Former ministers waiting in the wings to take Shinzo Abe’s LDP job in Japan
Tokyo — Former Japanese defence minister Shigeru Ishiba has announced he will look to replace Prime Minister Shinzo Abe next month, in a long-shot bid that could, nonetheless, revive debate over a range of thorny issues. If elected to lead Abe’s Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), Ishiba said he would implement a 100-day plan to restore trust in the government, which has been shaken by a series of cronyism scandals. While he praised Abe’s success in improving employment and corporate profits, he said inequality and the country’s aging population were growing problems. He also called for equal treatment of the LGBT community. "We need to change our blueprint for Japan to cope with the major problems that face us," Ishiba told a news conference Friday in Tokyo. It’s the party’s first such leadership vote since Abe took the reins six years ago, when Ishiba also sought the job. The former defence minister has previously criticised Abe over what he said were rushed plans to change the pacifi...
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